Decarbon Daily - US Electricity Mix, EV Demand, and Net-zero

The road to decarbonization is a challenging one. The team at Visual Capitalist put together a great infographic showing the disparity of electricity sources by state.

Over the course of 2020, the U.S. generated 4,009 TWh of electricity, with the majority coming from fossil fuels. Natural gas (40.3%) was the biggest source of electricity for the country, accounting for more than nuclear (19.7%) and coal (17.3%) combined.

A couple interesting data points:
- Delaware and Rhode Island electricity comes from 90%+ natural gas
- New Hampshire, Illinois, and South Carolina use 56%+ nuclear for electricity
- Washington, Idaho, and Vermont all use nearly 60% hydro power for electricity
- Hawaii relies on oil for 66% of electricity supply
- California and Nevada are the only states that have 10% or more of electricity supply coming from solar

Texas Generates 12% of U.S. Electricity in 2020

According to the EIA, the top 5 states for electricity generation account for 33% of the total U.S. generation in 2020. Texas leads the way with nearly 12% of the total USA electricity generation.
1. Texas 475.5 Twh
2. Florida 249.7 Twh
3. Pennsylvania 231.0 Twh
4. California 194.1 Twh
5. Illinois 173.6 Twh

What happends to electricity demand with increased EV adoption?

EV adoption is expected to increase by over 350% in the next five years. According to BloombergNEF, "passenger EV sales are set to increase sharply in the next few years, rising from 3.1 million in 2020 to 14 million in 2025."

Public charging infrastructure and home charging demands will be required to make the adoption a reality. Today, most of us fuel our vehicles at gas stations conveniently located everywhere. In the U.S., you expect to be able to fuel your vehicle when you need to. There are over 150,000 gas stations in the U.S. according the NACS, the association for convenience and fuel retailing.

However, it's not quite the same with EVs today due to the charging infrastructure located near commercial buildings, malls, and public gathering areas. Energy.gov tracks about 43,000 EV charging stations. More charging infrastructure is required along with changes in consumer behavior.

Inside this Issue

💰 Priority Power Announces Investment by Oaktree Capital
♻️ Net-zero Living: How Your Day Will Look in a Carbon-Neutral World
🏡 An Introduction to Net-Zero Carbon Real Estate
🌍 Net-Zero Will Leave the Middle East 75% Poorer
🇺🇸 Road to Decarbonization: The United States Electricity Mix
🏭 On-site Power Plants are Essential for Decarbonization of Industry